About NOAO

NOAO is the US national research & development center for ground-based night-time astronomy. Our mission is to provide public access to qualified professional researchers to forefront scientific capabilities on telescopes operated by NOAO as well as other optical and infrared telescopes. Today, these telescopes range in aperture size from 2-m to 10-m.

In support of this mission, NOAO is participating in the development of telescopes with aperture sizes of 20-m and larger as well as a unique 8-m telescope that will make a 10-year movie of the Southern sky. NOAO is also engaged in programs to develop the next generation of instruments and software tools necessary to enable exploration and investigation through the observable Universe, from planets orbiting other stars to the most distant galaxies in the Universe.

About Our Observatories:

Kitt Peak National Observatory (KPNO)

Kitt Peak National Observatory (KPNO) has its headquarters in
Tucson and operates the Mayall 4-meter, the 3.5-meter WIYN , the
2.1-meter and Coudé Feed, and the 0.9-meter telescopes on Kitt
Peak Mountain, about 55 miles southwest of the city.

Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory (CTIO)

The NOAO System Science Center (NSSC)

The NOAO System Science Center (NSSC) at NOAO is the gateway for the U.S.
astronomical community to the International Gemini Project: twin 8.1 meter
telescopes in Hawaii and Chile that provide unprecendented coverage (northern
and southern skies) and details of our universe.

Education & Public Outreach

NOAO’s nationally recognized Education and Public Outreach program communicates the excitement of world-class scientific research and technology development, inspiring young people to become explorers in science and research-based technology.